Following a call from the All India Congress Committee (AICC), the Chandigarh Pradesh Congress Committee held a preparatory meeting on Thursday at Congress Bhawan, Sector 35. The meeting was organised to plan protests against the renaming of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) and the alleged tampering with its core provisions. The session was chaired by the President of the Chandigarh Pradesh Congress Committee, HS Lucky.
During the meeting, Congress leaders and workers strongly condemned the Central government’s move to rename MGNREGA to Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G RAM G) and its perceived intent to dilute the original objectives of the Act. Speakers emphasised that MGNREGA is not merely a scheme, but a landmark law deeply rooted in the ideals of Mahatma Gandhi and the rights of the rural poor. They said that any attempt to undermine Gandhi’s legacy by changing the name is unacceptable.
The committee unanimously decided to launch a phased agitation to expose the BJP-led government’s policies. As part of this programme, the Chandigarh Pradesh Congress Committee will hold a detailed press conference on January 10. The party is set to present its stance on the renaming, the dilution of provisions, and the resulting adverse impacts on the poor and working class.
Furthermore, a protest dharna will be organised on January 11, at Labour Chowk, Sector 44/45, Chandigarh. The protest is scheduled from 11.30 am to 1.00 pm and is expected to see large participation from Congress leaders, party workers, labour organisations, and the general public.
The meeting also resolved to take the campaign to the village level to ensure that rural labourers are made aware of the Central government’s policy shifts. Lucky said that the Congress will not tolerate attempts to tamper with the name or ideals of Mahatma Gandhi. He asserted that MGNREGA remains a lifeline for the poor and that the party will continue to oppose every attempt to weaken it, both in the streets and in Parliament.
